The 60-year-old, who works as a senior policy lead in the UK’s business, energy and industrial strategies department, was recognised for her outstanding work in the civil service and for her contributions to British society.
The third-highest-ranking Order of the British Empire award, MBEs are presented to those in the areas of arts or sciences, charity, and/or public service.
Chelliah-Manning’s scope of work has included Britain’s exit from the European Union (Brexit), and policy development during the pandemic.
She was also recognised for her charitable efforts: for three years, she served as the chairperson of Powerhouse, a London organisation for women with learning disabilities and mental impairment – the only such NGO in the country.
When she took over the position in 2015, the charity had been on the verge of shutting down. Under her guidance, however, it turned a corner.
Today, it continues to be credited as a lifeline for women with special needs, providing them a safe space in which they can learn to read, write, and speak.
Chelliah-Manning, who further contributes to the BBC Asian Network on women’s issues, is not the first Malaysian to receive an MBE: last year, Sabah-based adventure guide and military historian Tham Yau Kong received the award for his contributions to researching and retracing the World War II Sandakan-Ranau Death March route.
Full-circle moment
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, the former student of SMK Assunta in Selangor said she spent the Tuesday at Windsor Castle with her husband Roger Manning, their daughter Maelo, and her younger sister, Janet.
In her speech, read on the blustery grounds of the royal residence after the ceremony, she dedicated her medal to her late father, John Chelliah. Chelliah-Manning credits John, a former director of the Malaysian Agricultural Producers Association, for having imbued in her a great sense of public service.
For her, it was a “full-circle” moment to have received the MBE medal from Princess Anne, sister of King Charles.
“The princess was very chatty,” Chelliah-Manning shared. “She asked me to explain my job.
“And then I told her that in the 1970s, she and Queen Elizabeth came to Malaysia on an official state visit, and I was one of the schoolchildren who’d been selected to wait by the roadside and wave at the motorcade.
“She couldn’t believe it!” Chelliah-Manning exclaimed with a laugh. “She said: ‘Oh my lord, that was a long time ago. Interesting!’, and said she really enjoyed her visit.”
Although she had only been nine years old then, that day remained etched in her memory even as she left her home on Old Klang Road in 1981 to pursue her A-levels abroad.
“For a long time, I was trying to straddle two cultures – western and Asian culture,” she said of her early years in the UK. “That was a real challenge because you try to fit into the country where you live, but you also carry so much of your birth land with you.”
Chelliah-Manning, who holds a master’s degree in international relations, has spent most of her adult life in London, where she worked as a freelance journalist before joining the civil service 20 years ago.
And even though she has British permanent residency, she has not relinquished her Malaysian citizenship.
“The UK is my homeland but I am still a Malaysian,” she pointed out. “My birth land is still dear to me 42 years later. ‘Tanah tumpah darahku’ – I can still sing ‘Negaraku’.
“My MBE is a victory for Malaysian representation.”
She called on Malaysians to stay united and be ambassadors for Malaysia, no matter where they are.
“Never forget your roots, and always celebrate the diversity of our cultures,” she concluded. “Remember – Malaysia boleh, Malaysians boleh.”